The Manchester City defender could be a useful addition to the Southampton squad.
According to the Mirror, City have joined Liverpool in the race to sign Saints centre-back Virgil van Dijk in January, following the news that John Stones is set to miss up to six weeks action with a hamstring injury.
Whilst Southampton remain steadfast in their insistence that they will not be selling the Dutchman, it seems like it will just be a matter of time before he leaves St Mary’s.
According to Yahoo Sport, the south coast outfit value the 26-year-old centre-back at £70 million, and if the Citizens come knocking with that kind of cash, it could prove extremely difficult for a club the size of the Saints to turn down.
If Mauricio Pellegrino is forced to sell Van Dijk, it might just be in his best interest to demand a City player in return, and a useful option for them could be Eliaquim Mangala.
The 26-year-old has played a peripheral role for the Citizens since moving to the Etihad from Porto in a deal believed to be worth in the region of £32 million in the summer of 2014, but he still has a lot to offer at the very highest level.
Click HERE to read: BBC pundit claims £70 million ace wants to join Liverpool
Mangala is obviously not fancied by Pep Guardiola, having made zero Premier League starts this season, and spending the entirety of last term on loan at Valencia, and the Spaniard would surely be willing to use him as a makeweight as part of a potential deal for Van Dijk.
The Frenchman is an accomplished, experienced defender, and would undoubtedly help fill the void left behind by the Dutchman.
He is physically strong, capable in the air and quick along the ground, and that pace would offer Southampton something extra in the defensive third.
With the opening of the January transfer window just around the corner, this should certainly be an option that Pellegrino at least considers.
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